A STORM is brewing after the government allocated a farm to businessman Billy Rautenbach dispossessing farmers allocated the land during the controversial land reform programme.
The land, occupied and developed by local farmers including war veterans for over two decades, was transferred to Rautenbach’s company, Marimba Residential Properties Limited, on June 5, 2025, before a High Court challenge by the displaced farmers could be heard.
The High Court case is due before the courts on July 17.
Springs Farm measures about 600 hectares. Prominent people at the farm affected by relocation include former Chitungwiza mayor and Zanu PF central committee member Joseph Macheka, retired army major Alfred Chademana and war veterans identified as Cdes Chikomo, Mangisa and Muza.
Chikomo’s son, Uniko, was recently honoured as one of the young farmers of the year for 2024 at an awards ceremony facilitated by the Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development ministry.
The farmers, who had their offer letters withdrawn despite having made long-term investments on the property, have since applied to the High Court to halt the transfer.
At Stuhm Farm, almost 200 stands, measuring about 400 hectares, were sold to legislators and government officials in 2019, but all the land has since been allocated to Rautenbach.
Agriculture minister Anxious Masuka and his Local Government counterpart Daniel Garwe have faced criticism over the decision, with farmers accusing them of allegedly favouring Rautenbach and “attempting to reverse the land reform programme”.
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In a March 14, 2025, letter, Garwe offered Rautenbach over 1 000 hectares, including Springs and neighbouring Stuhm Farm, as compensation for his claim over 180 hectares in Harare’s Aspindale Park.
However, court records show that Rautenbach’s claim to the Aspindale land was dismissed in a 2019 High Court ruling. Justice Philda Muzofa found that his companies had no legal title to the property, which had been allocated to housing co-operatives in 2004.
The reallocation has also affected current and former MPs who were granted leases on Stuhm Farm in 2019 under a government redistribution programme to urbanise the land. Many had invested in infrastructure, including joint ventures and irrigation systems under agreements running until 2029.
The dispute raises questions about Zimbabwe’s land tenure policies, particularly President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s title deeds programme, which aims to secure property rights for citizens. Critics argue that the reallocation undermines this initiative by displacing established farmers in favour of a private developer.
One of the affected farmers, Uniko, son of war vet Chikomo, expressed frustration, citing his family’s contributions to land development and questioning the fairness of the process. The case remains unresolved as legal and political scrutiny continues.
Former legislator, Trevor Saruwaka, who was MP for Mutasa Central from 2018 to 2023 and is the secretary of the Stuhm Residents Association, accused the government of corruption.
“There are over 180 stands and we bought the land from the Ministry of Local Government after negotiations were carried out by the Parliament of Zimbabwe. More than 80 current and former MPs across the political divide were allocated the land. Even senior officials from the ministry were also allocated the same land. We are outraged and we suspect that some form of corruption transpired.
“Even if the minister felt compelled to give Mr Rautenbach the land, we do not understand why he was given over 1 000ha, when the land that was due to him is said to be about 100ha. All this smacks of corruption, especially as Rautenbach was allocated an offer letter when the matter is pending before the courts.”
Chademana, whose farm measures just over 100ha from the 600ha of Spring Farm allocated to Rautenbach on Friday, said:
“I was allocated this farm in 2001, as part of the war vets quota. I moved here in 2002 and have carried out many developments including a modern house, irrigation and even a school, on the part of the farm which was not arable. I was shocked when in 2023, some officials from the Ministry of Agriculture came to the farm, saying they wanted to do some inspections.
“In 2024, the officials returned and said that they were going to withdraw my offer letter because the farm was allocated for urban expansion.
“I even argued that if that was the case, as farmers we would be able to do urban expansion by ourselves. However, the officials proceeded to withdraw my offer letter. I then sought an audience with Minister Masuku who refused to see our group. We were then able to see Minister Garwe?
He said they were going to give the 1 000ha of land to Rautenbach.
“I asked him why this was the case. He said it was a directive from the President. I do not believe he was being truthful. My question is what is so special about Rautenbach that he was given almost 10 times what the ministers claim to owe him?
“Why he do his rights seem to be more supreme over everyone else? One thing you need to understand is that the government is not even offering compensation for our farms, They are just saying we should leave. Also, why was he given the offer letter when the matter is still before the courts. It is outrageous.”
While Masuka and Garwe were not available yesterday, documents show the farm was handed over on June 5 this year.
